October was a great month for OE.  For much of the month we had some unseasonably warm weather to enjoy.  One of our themes for the month was apples.  Our third graders picked apples from Blok Orchard and all the grades were able to spend some time slicing, smashing, pressing and drinking our hand-made apple cider.  Another highlight was our new baby chicks! So cute! Aside from turning the OE room into a temporary cider mill and chicken hatchery, we enjoyed a number of adventures outside in each of the grades.

Kindergarten learned about texture as a different way to explore creation. We went on a hike to find different textures and created bark and tree rubbings to see the textures visually. We also had a fun day using pumpkins to learn about measurements and counting by 10s to 100. One rainy day we stayed inside and learned about how a baby chick hatches and grows. Then students got to meet and pet our newly hatched chicks! 

In addition to cider, first graders took the herbs they collected and made tea. They took the dried herbs and rubbed them over a screen to break them into small pieces and remove the stems (a process called garbling). The herbs were then put in tea bags with each student’s own special herb blend. We also visited animals around school and looked at their characteristics in order to categorize them (including the baby chicks!)

Second graders spent some time one class period giving back and helping out at school by woodchipping some of our trails. They did a great job adding to the trails bucket by bucket. We also read the book Leafman and collected leaves. Soon we’ll make some pictures in art using the collected leaves. We spent some time learning about tracking like the pioneers and became track detectives trying to decipher how classmates moved through the sand.  

One highlight from 3rd grade was the field trip to Blok orchard to collect apples. They did a great job learning the correct way to pick apples and carefully fill crates. Students have been observing their seeds planted in the greenhouse sprouting, climbing a trellis, and even starting to make fruit! We also went on a seed hunt to find all kinds of seeds with different dispersal methods and read a great book about how seeds move.

In 4th grade students spent time exploring creation and connecting to science. We spent some time looking at leaf critters and talked about the role of decomposers; practiced a simulation about food availability and population size, and played predator/prey game showing how animals use sound to communicate. We also spent some time in the greenhouse and hoophouse preparing the beds for our winter crops. We have enjoyed harvest time with Ms Leah at lunch recess, and selling our wares at the market Wednesdays after school.

The fifth grade has met with Ms Leah this month to learn about barn rules, goat chores, and the life cycle of a goat. The fifth graders also learned about mating season, in preparation for the arrival of the male goats (bucks), who are now settling in with the herd. This year, they are young bucks, so quite small and less stinky! Say hello to Nicholas and Nelson next time you come by the farm.

The 6th graders have all received their job assignments as part of the Got Yolk company and are earning big auction points with their hard work. It’s wonderful to watch the barn and OE room abuzz with collaboration during recess time. We have begun delivering our eggs to customers and will have extra dozens for sale at Wednesday after school market, as long as the weather allows. The students enjoyed rooting for their chicks as they hatched, and watching their quick growth. We just discovered the breeds of these new chicks and are excited for the colorful feathers and eggs they will add to the flock (Mystic Marans & Pearl Star Leghorn).

[IMAGE '2009' /]7th grade OE spent some time learning to identify different species of trees. One of the tools we used was a dichotomous key. We are learning a variety of trees from our property that they will be able to identify by leaf type. They also learned to identify the invasive species Oriental bittersweet and helped to remove the nasty vine from some of our woods. They did great work and the effort is quite noticeable. 

Invasive species has been the topic for the last number of weeks. We have talked about what invasive species are, why they are harmful and how they get here. We then learned how to identify them as well as how to get rid of them. We put this knowledge into practice as students came out multiple times to remove the Oriental Bittersweet vine from woods on our campus. 8th graders also spent time enjoying their sit spots again and have overall shown an increased ability to sit and reflect while in God’s creation.